Inspired! get writing! - resource notes - ESU Scotland
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inspired!
get writing!
resource
notes
Get Inspired! Get Writing! Contents
Welcome to the new Inspired? Get writing! online resource.
These notes were developed and written by the Inspired? Get writing! team to offer 1. LOOKING AT ART. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 5
some inspiration, guidance and support to entrants to Inspired? Get Writing!
How do we look at art?
Whether you’re entering the competition for the first time, or are an experienced writer What influences how we see things?
looking for fresh impetus; whether you’re a teacher looking for some creative lesson
Ways of seeing: getting started
ideas, or a young person looking for some tips on how to get started - these notes are
for you. The more you look the more you see
Whoever you are, you may be asking yourself, How do I get inspired? How am I supposed 2. A WARM-UP FOR WRITING: FREE WRITING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 10
to really ‘look at’ an artwork? Where do I start? What kind of poem or story could I write?
We hope that our notes will answer some of these questions, that a great idea grabs 3. GETTING STARTED WITH POETRY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 11
you, and you can’t wait to get started.
Different kinds of poems
Teachers may find this resource particularly useful in developing a creative cross- Warm-ups for poetry
curricular programme to incorporate into their teaching syllabus; some of our ‘regular’
schools engage in our competition as an annual classroom project. We’ve tried to make A caution about rhyme - and the joy of free verse
our notes suitable for direct use by teenagers and adults, and appropriate in content
for all 7-14 year olds when selected and adapted for use by their teachers. 4. GETTING STARTED WITH PROSE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 19
The notes are divided into clear sections (see our contents page) so that you can read Thinking about prose
through them all in order or simply dip in for specific advice, ideas or information.
Different kinds of prose
Make sure to check out our competition rules.
Activities for developing stories and ideas
We’re very grateful to the following education and literary colleagues and friends who A final word about prose
reviewed and assisted with these notes. Grateful thanks to:
5. SIX EXAMPLES TO GET YOU STARTED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 24
Rebekah Whitley, Knightsridge Primary School
Gillian Denvir, Roseburn Primary School The Three Oncologists, Ken Currie
Kirsty Russell, Edinburgh Rudolf Steiner School Sil I , Laszlo Moholy-Nagy
Mary Paulson-Ellis, writer Back of Hand , James Naysmyth
Heather Reid, writer
Ken Cockburn, poet Away from the Flock, Damian Hirst
Sarah Saunders, Deputy Head of Education, National Galleries of Scotland Reflections, Balloch, George Leslie Hunter
Robyn Marsack, Director, Scottish Poetry Library The Lomellini Family, by Sir Anthony Van Dyck
We hope you find this resource useful, that you enjoy writing this year, and we look
forward to reading your entries. 6. WRITING FOR INSPIRED? GET WRITING! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 31
What are we looking for?
Best wishes
7. INSPIRED? GET WRITING! & THE CURRICULUM FOR EXCELLENCE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 32
Lorna, Linda, Suzy
The Inspired? Get writing! team
8. READING LIST. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 33
2. inspired! get writing! resource notes inspired! get writing! resource notes 3.
1. Looking at Art
(i) How do we look at art?
Many of us, when we go to an art gallery, walk past artworks and cast our eye over each one for a
maximum of 30 seconds.
We look at the label.
The artwork is expected to ‘mean’ something, and we look at the label hoping to find some kind
of answer.
If there is too much information on the label, unless we’re really interested, we won’t read to the
end but move along to the next artwork.
What we often fail to appreciate is that many of the ‘answers’ can be found in the artworks
themselves, if we look hard and long enough.
You’ll get a lot more out of seeing an original artwork than seeing it in reproduction, or online,
although we understand that the vast majority of our entrants will be restricted to observing the
National Galleries’ Collection at a remove. But even when we look at artworks ‘in the flesh’, where
we can appreciate scale, size, texture and true colour, we sometimes don’t look quite closely
enough, or look in the most beneficial way for writing. So whether you can visit the National
Galleries of Scotland or you’re exploring the collection on the web, get in gear…
(ii) What influences how we see things?
Many factors contribute to the way we see art, the way we ‘read’ it and the way it inspires us.
Because art can remind us of people, places, experiences and times in our lives, it can trigger
strong feelings, reactions and ideas – and these are the stuff, the beginnings, of poems and stories.
HOW WE VISIT GALLERIES
Alone or in a group? Being with friends or family may radically change, influence or subvert how
we see things.
TIME OF DAY
Do we visit early, when we’re fresh and alert - or late, when tired, jaded or hungry?
DISPLAY ISSUES
Portrait Detectives, photo ©Alicia Bruce Aspects of the ways in which art is displayed and our ease of access to it can greatly affect our level
of comfort and way of seeing: gallery space and arrangement, mobility issues, overcrowding, poor
labelling and information can all affect access and enjoyment.
AGE
Children often see things very differently from adults, as do teenagers.
GENDER
Men and women are drawn to and respond differently to different subject matter.
PRIOR KNOWLEDGE
What we already know about the subject, medium, artist or artwork, together with our own art-
education experience, our expectations, and our reading of criticism or reviews will affect our
responses.
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MOOD WHAT QUESTIONS WOULD YOU ASK ABOUT THE WORK OF ART?
How we feel at a particular moment can affect our view and level of receptiveness. We may be Of a gallery guide? Of the artist? Of a character depicted?
unhappy and in need of solace or comfort. Or positive and joyful. In turn, our susceptibility means
Which part of the artwork do you think caused the artist most difficulty or effort? Which part did
that art can transform our mood.
he/she like doing best?
LIFE EXPERIENCE If the figure(s) invited you into the world of the artwork, would you go?
Our life experiences may help us to identify or empathise with (or dislike or be repelled by) the Why not just read an inspiring poem for starters? This is a good one for secondary pupils and
WEB LINK
subject matter adults: See Fleur Adcock’s Leaving the Tate.
Personal attitudes, values, prejudices
We may have strong religious or moral beliefs that colour our attitude and point of view.
We may be anxious about looking at artworks for fear that we’re unable to ‘appreciate’ them (iv) The more you look the more you see
properly, or ‘teach’ others to do so.
Talk with friends or in groups in class to explore some of the following topics and questions.
DO IT YOUR OWN WAY - Teachers of younger pupils can work with a limited number of selected criteria from the list below;
perhaps let children choose which aspects of a painting they’d like to study more closely (Colour?
For the purposes of Inspired? Get writing! we want only that people of all ages, and especially Atmosphere? Composition?), either by asking them directly, or by picking up and building on the
teachers and their pupils, engage with and respond to artworks in a personal, confident and un- most enthusiastic of their responses to a work.
self-censored way. Respond in whatever way you choose, enjoy or feel natural doing. You don’t
have to have any background knowledge or experience. Art critics may well say there are right
and wrong answers when it comes to art. We don’t! Content
LOOK CLOSELY; SAY ALOUD OR WRITE DOWN
EVERYTHING YOU CAN SEE IN THE ARTWORK
(iii) Ways of seeing: getting started Although, for the purposes of the competition, we’re not looking for straightforward descriptions
of artworks, description is nonetheless the most important first task in exploring the life of the
LOOK AT THE ARTWORK ANY WHICH WAY YOU CAN… artwork and the first step in the personal creative process.
Look at the work as a whole, and then as a sum of many parts…
NOTHING IN A PAINTING IS RANDOMLY OR ACCIDENTALLY PLACED
Let your eyes scan it from left to right and top to bottom, and vice versa. Screw up your eyes as
you look at it; what shapes and elements can you pick out? What do they look like? If you’re in Look at the fine detail: a stray curl, a pouting lip, a rucked carpet. What the hands are holding, or
the gallery, lie down and look up at it. Approach it from different angles. Do you like or dislike it reaching for, or dropping. Look at dress, posture, gesture, an expression, a distant view from a
immediately? Does it grow on you, or are you indifferent? window. What’s on the floor or half-hidden in a corner?
Does the work have a title? Does the title clarify, confuse or intrigue you? Why do you think it has
that title? What title would you give it, and why? Composition
LIVE WITH IT… WHERE AND HOW ARE ELEMENTS PLACED?
Print out a copy of the artwork or obtain a postcard and pin it up in the classroom or on your What draws your eye? What element or elements have high status? Is everything centred, or with
kitchen noticeboard. Live with it for a while. Re-visit it time and again. Glance at it in passing; stop an imbalance to the right, left, top or bottom; in the foreground or background, filling a lot or a
and study it closely. little of the space?
Turn away, then look back: what is the first thing that immediately arrests your attention?
LET YOUR EYES ZOOM IN ON SMALL DETAILS…
Can you see any angles, colours, shapes, lines or details that are echoed or repeated to help ‘bring
What can you see in the piece? Identify or list everything from the most obvious to the tiny the artwork together’ or give it a sense of movement?
details.
Does the relationship of the elements of the artwork suggest harmony or conflict, or some other
Ask questions of each other about what you see. mood? Are there ambiguities? Ambivalence? Look for connections and disconnectedness between
Pick out a small part that most might not see on first glance/viewing. all the elements.
MAKE CONNECTIONS Colour
Look for connections between the artwork and your own life, experience and point of view. What HOW HAS THE ARTIST USED COLOUR?
do you feel when you look at the work? Does it remind you of anything? Anyone? Any place or
Which colours? Dull or bright; pale or strong; opaque, transparent or translucent?
time? Make connections between the world or the period in which the artwork was created, and
your own world. Talk to the artwork – and let it talk back! Are there few or many colours? Are the colours balanced – do they appear in lots of places or just
one or two spots?
Are they harmonious or contrasting or juxtaposed and clashing?
6. inspired! get writing! resource notes inspired! get writing! resource notes 7.
Try to describe the colours in the art work as precisely as you can. Not just red - but ‘pillarbox’, Sensory stories
‘oxblood’, ‘crushed strawberry’, ‘hollyberry’, ‘blush’…
INVENT!
Try not to think too long before responding to these questions. First impressions and feelings are
Style often the most valuable.
HOW AND OF WHAT HAS THE ARTWORK BEEN MADE? What do the different colours in the artwork remind you of?
Who do the people, or what do the shapes remind you of?
Has it been painted, printed, carved, hewn, welded, moulded, arranged or otherwise assembled?
If the colours in the painting were sounds, what would they be?
Can you see brushstrokes, palette-knife marks, smudging? Do the brush strokes or markings go in If the curves or shapes of the sculpture were music or sound, what kind?
the same direction or in many?
If the colours were flavours, what would they be?
Is the surface smooth or rough? Is paint loose and watery or thick impasto (meaning the thick
If the artwork could speak, what would it say to you? Or to the world?
paint surface is raised up, sometimes with a palette knife).
What kind of movement or rhythm does the piece suggest or remind you of?
Do you think it was it made quickly, with a sense of immediacy? Or perhaps painstakingly slowly?
What is the predominant texture in the work?
Atmosphere Are there smells wafting through the scene or composition?
WHAT KIND OF ATMOSPHERE IS CONVEYED IN THE ARTWORK? Imagine the artwork springing to animated life. What, or who, moves – where to, how and why?
What kind of emotions seem to be conveyed? - Calm and tranquil or alarming and disturbing?
Bold or intimate? Dull and boring or exciting and lively? Tragic or comic? Straightforward or
ambiguous? Try to find your own words to describe the atmosphere.
How do you think the artist has created the atmosphere?
How would you feel if you were part of the world of the artwork?
Story/Narrative
WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE WORLD OF THE ARTWORK? LOOK FOR ALL THE CLUES.
Ask yourself:
Why the artist created it and who might commission/pay for such an artwork
What myths, stories and legends did people at the time the art work was made know or tell - what
did they read and believe?
How did these people live their lives and how important were various aspects of life to them;
aspects such as family, religion, politics, machines/ technology, fashion, money, food, art.
IMAGINE THE ARTWORK IS A STILL FROM A FILM.
What might happen just before or just after this moment? Who is the leading character? What
is his/her back-story? Is the scene the beginning of the story? What happens next? Is it the end
of the story? What has happened to get to this point? What is he/she thinking or feeling at this
moment?
Sounds and voices
If you could put yourself in the artwork what soundtrack do you think you might hear (even if
you’ve selected an abstract work). Are there voices, music, vibrations?
If there are people, what might they be saying to each other? Would they whisper or shout or
speak another language?
Imagine the voice, the attitudes and point of view of different characters (or objects or shapes)
in the artwork.
Augustin Edouart, Anne MacVicar, Mrs James Grant of Laggan, Scottish National Portrait Gallery
8. inspired! get writing! resource notes inspired! get writing! resource notes 9.
2. A Warm-up for Writing 3. Getting Started with Poetry
Sometimes we experience a bit of creakiness in our creative muscles. Sometimes it’s really hard
even to make the first mark on a blank page. Sometimes we think we’ll never have an idea. (i) Different kinds of poems
Doing some warm-ups can liberate the hand and the imagination, and allow us to enjoy writing Poems come in all shapes and sizes, flavours and colours and packages. The very best way to
fluently, without struggling with ideas, vocabulary and all kinds of self-censorship. familiarise children with what poetry is, and to give them confidence that they can make their own,
is to read them all sorts of poems aloud on a regular basis. See our Reading List at the end of this
So here’s an idea for a fun and gentle warm-up that can open up a wealth of possibilities and
resource.
reveal ideas with potential.
Here are some ideas for reading and writing different kinds of poems:
Free Writing
We’re going to write – without stopping! LIST POEM
Try timed free writing for one minute to start with. If you’re a teacher, set as much as you think A list poem might itemise or gather together, in an imaginative way, several or many elements in
your class can manage and then extend. Make sure everyone has a blank sheet of paper. Work in the artwork or in the world of its subject matter. Here are three ideas:
silence. WEB LINK Read Kit Wright’s poem ‘The Magic Box’ .Try the same approach for an artwork. Imagine yourself the
artist, and start, “On this canvas, I will make, or conjure…”
STEP 1
WEB LINK Read Ian McMillan’s ‘Ten Things Found in a Shipwrecked Sailor’s Pocket’ by logging in at the TES: Can
Read these notes to be sure you understand how to proceed, or explain the exercise to your class: you use the same idea for a painting or other artwork?
You’re going to write. Relax. Go with your first impulse or thought. You are free to write the worst WEB LINK See Joshua Reynolds’ The Ladies Waldegrave’
rubbish ever written. (You have absolute permission to make all kinds of mistakes!) Keep your What do you think might be on the Ladies’ ‘To Do’ lists? Or in their ‘10 Top Tips for Young Ladies’?
hand moving, and write down everything! Don’t worry about spelling, punctuation or grammar. Your list could achieve all sorts of things: tell a story, reveal personalities, or examine attitudes,
(You can go back to this after the exercise, if you wish.) Above all, keep going! conflicts, politics or values of the time.
Introduce a short starter-phrase, e.g.
I know… SEQUENCE OR SERIES POEM
I want… A sequential structure (e.g. days of the week) or instructional series (‘How to…’) can offer a strong
I love… dramatic form for focusing poetry ideas. Because the structure is plain, children can focus on the
I (don’t) remember… originality of their ideas. Perhaps make a recipe of your favourite artwork. Or a set of instructions
S/he said… on ‘How to Paint…’ a work.
I would paint…
WEB LINK Read George McKay Brown’s ‘Beachcomber’
When you get stuck and feel you’ve nothing, or nothing more, to say, just keep your engine Try starting your lines like this: On Monday… On Tuesday… On Wednesday… or ‘In January… In
ticking over by writing ‘I’m stuck, I’m stuck, I’m stuck’ until you find a gear to slip into! Or you could February…’ or ‘In Spring… In summer…’ or ’The first time… the second time…’
write the stimulus phrase again (Teachers, make sure it’s up on the board), and keep going. Once
you get started, just follow your mind wherever it takes you.
WEB LINK Read Henry Reed’s ‘Naming of Parts’
It’s a good example of step-by-step instructions, a form which can resonate powerfully in poetry.
However, as you write, try to be specific on the detail - not bird but blackbird; not tree but horse
chestnut; not biscuit but Hobnob.
WEB LINK Read Elaine Magliaro’s ‘How to make a Morning’ and write a ‘recipe for an artwork’.
STEP 2 SHORT FORM POEM
After the time allotted, stop. Rest and review the experience briefly. Try haiku, tanka or quatrain. With haiku and tanka, there is no need to adhere strictly to the rules,
Try again if you like, for a longer period. and these are good forms to encourage children to focus then expand on individual elements
of an artwork; for example, they may write five linked haiku in order to explore the artwork from
STEP 3 (optional) different angles or points of view.
Read aloud or look at the material you’ve written and refine it into a more structured piece, for Haiku: three unrhymed lines with 5,7,5 syllables. Traditionally Japanese nature poems, haiku can be
example, by breaking the passage down into 10 syllables per line; by deleting or replacing words, written about anything (including artworks) that you want to express thoughts and feelings about.
or cutting and pasting. Which suits your material best - prose or poetry? Alternatively, you could Find out more at
simply sift the material, looking for the germs of good ideas for more considered development, WEB LINK BBC Haiku
or pupils read their work in pairs and say what they like about their partner’s writing, and perhaps
one thing to work on.
WEB LINK Mr Donn’s Haiku
WEB LINK Tanka: five unrhymed lines with 31 syllables
10. inspired! get writing! resource notes inspired! get writing! resource notes 11.
Quatrain: a four-verse rhymed poem. WEB LINK WEB LINK Find an example of a found poem, An Unemployed Machinist probably crafted from a newspaper
report, by poet and performance artist John Giorno, from Balling Buddha (Kulchur Foundation)
Try linking a series of short-form poems:
WEB LINK where you’ll also find some tips on working with found text in the classroom.
See Joan Eardley’s Catterline in Winter WEB LINK
SYLLABLE POEM
Try writing four linked haiku: one describing Winter, the others,
the three other seasons at Catterline. Have fun working with abstract artworks, expressing thoughts about them in a strict syllabic or
metric pattern. Perhaps Iambic pentameter? Or haiku? Sometimes, imposing a discipline in this
Read Wallace Stevens’ Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird WEB LINK
way helps young people to select, economise and be highly creative with words.
Write linked short-form poems that offer different views or interpretations of a chosen artwork. Try starting very simply with one syllable in line 1, two in line 2, three in line 3 and so on. Perhaps
one of Joan Eardley’s Catterline works might start:
RIDDLE OR ‘KENNING’ low
Try writing using a riddle form to explore a riddle presented by an artwork! winter
A ‘kenning’ is an old Norse word for a riddle-poem in which the writer employs figurative sun against
compound terms in place of the key concrete noun. a steel grey sky…
…and listen for the rhythms building.
Here’s a kenning -
LETTER POEM
Eye-poppin
Space-starin Write in blank or free verse, a letter from one depicted character to another, present or absent?
Nose-twitchin From a painter to sitter? From one featured figure to another? From one painting to another?
Woolly-jumpin Start writing in prose firstly, if you like. Letter poems are a great way to explore with pupils one of
Waim-wobblin the defining characteristics of poetry — line breaks. As pupils work to transform prose into poetic
Flock followin form, they’re forced to think very carefully about where to end each line.
Field-trottin WEB LINK Read together one of the finest letter poems, William Carlos Williams’ This is Just to Say
Rock-stottin
Cud-chompin Perhaps present it to pupils in letter form, asking them to turn it into a poem. How do their efforts
Lamb-dichtin chime with the original when you show them it?
Dye-dippit Pupils could then practice with other kinds of letter (an official school letter to parents? A personal
Lug-clippit letter they’ve received?) before exploring artworks with their new-found skills.
Dug-frichtit
Hill rovin QUESTION POEM
Ram-lovin
All-round baa-ad girl… A ‘question poem’ may only start with a question, or may consist solely or almost solely of
questions, but so devised and arranged to create a narrative, picture or strong impression in the
Whae am I? (A sheep, of course) reader’s mind.
Your questions might be addressed to a character depicted, or to an artwork as a whole, to the
Why not try a kenning for a human or animal portrait, or a sculpture? artist, or to another imaginary character.
CONCRETE OR SHAPE OR VISUAL POEM To assist younger children, perhaps use the five ‘W’ questions: who, where, why, when, what.
Question poems may contain answers if you wish.
A concrete poem is one which forms a picture of the subject of the poem or follows the contours
of a shape that is suggested by the subject. Concrete poems can be made up of words, phrases or INSTAMATIC POEM
a continuous line.
This form was created by Edwin Morgan. Instamatic poems are short descriptive poems about
Look here for examples of concrete or visual poems WEB LINK events that might have appeared in newspapers or on TV. “An instamatic poem,” Morgan said,
“should give a visual picture of the event as if somebody had been there with an instamatic camera
Read more about visual poems WEB LINK and had just very quickly snapped it…”
Perhaps you could write an instamatic poem based on an event that immediately preceded or
Look for artworks with strong lines and perhaps reflect the shapes they create in lines of poetry. followed the moment captured in an artwork?
WEB LINK See an example of an instamatic poem, Edwin Morgan’s ‘Glasgow 5 March 1971’
FOUND POEM
A ‘found’ poem is made up entirely or in part of words and phrases culled from the world around
us; words already written down, whether that be in a poem, a road sign, a cinema poster, graffiti,
a book on art criticism or an art gallery label. Or even words overheard, spoken by others, about
your chosen artwork. So, the words in the poem are not original, but the context, purpose, and
arrangement of them are.
12. inspired! get writing! resource notes inspired! get writing! resource notes 13.
MONOLOGUE POEM lines in two and achieve an interesting effect? Or mix short and long? Is it better to stick to one idea
per line or can we make them longer?
Written in the first person, this kind of poem allows you to explore the inner thoughts or voice of
a figure. Can you rearrange the order of the lines for a better, powerful effect? Read the lines aloud and
listen carefully – how does the piece sound?
Have a look at
Could some words be cut or changed to tell the poem’s story better? Could some powerful words
Iain Stewart’s photograph, of Alasdair Gray. WEB LINK
or phrases be repeated? Can you make a simile instead of a straight description (or vice versa)?
WEB LINK Can you place words together that share the same sounds (alliteration, assonance, rhyme) to make
or Sir James Guthrie’s painting, ‘A Hind’s Daughter’
rhythms?
Imagine one of them speaking. What’s their story? What’s on their minds? Can you find a voice for Careful – have we over-egged it?
them? Reveal their innermost thoughts? Are they speaking to themselves, or to you? Or to some
Or do you want to add more lines now, to develop a good idea or image?
other unidentified person?
Keep revising the piece until it looks, feels, and sounds just right to you all.
DIALOGUE POEM
EXAMPLE OF PROSE-TO-POETRY
Choose two or three characters from a work and explore their thoughts or relationships in a poem
The sample passage and poem below are mock-ups and attempt to reflect the participation of P4-5
that captures their speech rhythms, personalities and stories.
pupils in response to set of questions prepared in advance by the teacher.
Here’s a fun one to read: Edwin Morgan’s The First Men on Mercury WEB LINK Is the poem finished, or a work-in-progress? How might it be improved?
Or work with one character and set three verses as follows: all lines in verse 1 begin with ‘I’
– all lines in verse 2 with ‘you’, and all lines in verse 3 with ‘He’, ‘She’ or ‘It’ Away from the Flock by Damian Hirst
What might Antonio Canova’s ‘The Three Graces’ be thinking, or saying about, or directly to, WEB LINK
each other? PROSE
I know the sheep is dead because it’s in a case of liquid. But if you half shut your eyes it looks alive.
PERSONIFICATION POEM It’s floating in blue stuff the colour of a swimming pool or the sky. Its wool looks soft and new.
Let an animal or inanimate object from an artwork speak to its audience! What’s its story, its beef, It’s sad because it’s not a grown–up sheep, it’s just a bit bigger than a lamb. It looks healthy and I
its take on the world, its heart’s desire? don’t think it would have died. Its nose is pointing up and its legs are bent like it’s feeding from its
mother. It must have been taken away from her. I think it is really cruel. I think it is a boy and it had
AND THERE’S MORE! a twin brother. They should be in a field jumping and playing on the grass. I don’t think children
will like it because lambs are cuddly and cute and you see them in things to do with babies and
You could also try ballads, blessings, prayers; songs, charms or spells; epitaphs, odes, chants, raps! story books and nursery rhymes. At Christmas we see lambs sitting beside the baby Jesus in the
stable. It makes me sad he’s alone and it makes me feel lonely and sad.
And don’t forget to think about style and voice. Will you write in contemporary or archaic
language? In your local dialect of Scots? Informally or formally? Or in a style suggested by the
occupation or status of a figure in an artwork? Poem
I know this sheep
is dead, though if I blink fast
(ii) Warm-ups for poetry looks alive.
He floats in liquid blue
as a swimming pool or
(a) A Poem… from Prose? the sky in spring
when he was new.
He’s young. Not quite a lamb,
Anyone can try this exercise, especially if you’re not used to writing poetry or are unsure what that fleece plump and soft,
involves. not quite a grown-up sheep,
Teachers, show pupils how they can transform prose into poetry by modeling the following process up nose lifted up to find his mother’s milk,
on the board with the whole class, before setting it as an individual exercise. but she is gone.
He should be on the hill with his twin brother,
Select an artwork and write a paragraph about it. Select vocabulary carefully: precise verbs, skipping on a page of a storybook,
interesting adjectives etc. Write 100-200 words. stepping with wobbly legs across a nursery wall,
Read it out loud. What is it that makes it sound like prose, not poetry? How does poetry sound? So curled up in the stable with the baby,
how can we make this into a poem? sung in a lullaby.
Not here, alone.
Now go to work… break the paragraph down and tighten it up into a poem. He makes me sad and lonely.
Experiment with how you can arrange and rearrange the material into shorter lines. Can we split
14. inspired! get writing! resource notes inspired! get writing! resource notes 15.
(b) Find your poem! and the joy of free verse
Get started writing by making a ‘found’ poem – nab someone else’s words! (For a fuller definition
of a ‘Found’ poem and links, see page 12) Writing in ‘free verse’ allows you free licence to say exactly what you want to say, how you want to
say it, without having to obey any rules regarding regular metre or rhyme. In fact, you can make
Anyone can play this game. Teachers should prepare by collating some material, and perhaps your own poetic rules; you can write in the rhythms of natural speech in all its many variations,
work as a class to start with. or use a more fragmented kind of language. Free verse sometimes has very irregular and unique
Look for and copy a range of material drawn from descriptions or commentaries of paintings. shapes. You can still use techniques like repetition, alliteration or punctuation to create rhythms of
(See the NGS online collection, guides and publications.) your own making.
Select a passage and start to break it down and work it into a poem by arranging it into lines and Free verse can help young people explore their own poetic voices more spontaneously; they
experimenting with punctuation. can invent and play with language more freely, without falling prey to the dangers of ‘artificial
Read the ‘new poem’ aloud. Sometimes the poem will seem quite good, whilst others will, quite additives’ such as cutesy/clumsy rhyme. Of course, it’s not to say free verse is necessarily an easy
naturally, prove ‘duds’. (This is all in the spirit of experimentation, so discuss why some of these form; words and lines must still be carefully and precisely made and set down. A free verse poem
‘found’ poems work better than others.) will still look like a poem, because of the way the lines look on the page, even although they may
be unpunctuated or irregularly or unusually arranged.
EXAMPLE
Here’s an almost word-for-word treatment of the National Galleries of Scotland online caption
accompanying Antonio Canova’s The Three Graces. Is it a finished poem? Or just a starting-point? Is
there more to the ‘story’? Do the Graces speak? How do they speak? And what further role might
the 6th Duke play?
the three graces
three daughters of Zeus
and friend of Aphrodite
transformed
cold hard marble
into soft lustrous skin
beautiful sisters
in a loose semi-circle
complement one another
in pose and gaze
entwined in
swathes of drapery
on a pedestal
in a temple
rotated
for the 6th Duke
(iii) A caution about rhyme
For teachers (but anyone can read on…)
Attributed to Francois Boucher, Madame de Pompadour (Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson), National Gallery of Scotland
Many children and young people enjoy writing rhyming poetry, and many feel they’re not writing
‘real’ poetry unless it rhymes. Of course poetry may rhyme, but it doesn’t have to. Rather, we
should encourage young people to use words with a heightened awareness of their sounds and
tones, rhythms and tempo.
It’s far better to encourage children to focus first and foremost on their ideas, and on the best,
most effective way of expressing and communicating them, rather than on straining to make
rhyme at the expense of those ideas. Often when rhyme wins out, the quality, originality and
authenticity of the idea go to the wall.
16. inspired! get writing! resource notes inspired! get writing! resource notes 17.
4. Getting Started with Prose
(i) Thinking about prose
Almost everything we read on a daily basis is some kind of prose. ‘Actively’ reading a wide range of
prose helps to develop writing skills, as well as providing plenty of ideas and inspiration.
When you read different types of prose, think about the style and the language used. Does it sound
‘official’ or informal? Is the writer trying to persuade, to inform, to sell, to explain, to instruct, to
describe…?
If the writer is describing a scene or event, can you imagine yourself there?
How does the writer use language to create rhythm? Read the text aloud and listen. Are the
sentences long or short? Does the writer use repetition, and what effect does this have? What
about the sounds of the individual words? Does the writer use alliteration or onomatopoeia?
Is the language used modern or old-fashioned; does the writer use slang, dialect or jargon? Does
this make it easier or more difficult to understand? What does this tell us about the writer, the
subject, or the characters?
Does the writer use simile or metaphor to create images? Is this effective, does it add to the
writing?
Think about point of view. Does the writer use the first person or third person? Is the writer giving
their opinion? Even in a newspaper there is a difference between factual reporting and editorial.
In fiction, is the narrator involved in the story, can you hear their voice clearly? Is the story from the
point of view of more than one character? How do you know who is telling each part of the story?
If you read a piece or prose which sounds terrible to you, can you work out why? Is the writing
repetitive? Is the word choice dull or vague? If there are characters, are they stereotypical or
unconvincing? Is it predictable or full of clichés?
Read a piece of prose that touches you in some way. Try to find what it is that makes it sparkle. Is it
fresh and original? Does it make something clearer or help you to see something in a completely
new way? How is it similar or different to your own writing? Can you write something in the same
style, just for practice?
Read, write, read, write, and you will find your own voice.
(ii) Different types of prose
The artwork you have looked at will have given you plenty of ideas for your writing. You may
choose to write a short story, but many kinds of non-fiction prose can also be adapted for creative
writing. Lists, recipes and instructions are discussed in the Poetry section. Here are a few other
ideas.
NEWSPAPER ARTICLES
You could write in the form of a newspaper article. If you are looking at a painting with a dramatic
scene then the artwork could even be the picture that goes with the story. You’ll need to devise
a good headline and tell the story in an exciting way to make the reader want to know more.
Remember that often in newspaper articles the story starts with a key event or the action, and
Quentin Massys, Portrait of a Man, Scottish National Portrait Gallery the background is explained later. You should start at the most exciting point and you could also
include quotes and interviews with the main characters.
Alternatively, you could write an article based on a traditional story, fairy tale or poem you know
WEB LINK well. Here are some examples of news articles about Shakespeare plays: 60 Second Shakespeare
18. inspired! get writing! resource notes inspired! get writing! resource notes 19.You can also use other ideas from newspapers or magazines for your writing What do they want to show the reader? What would they leave out?
You could also think of other kinds of ‘guides’ to write, if appropriate to your choice of artwork.
Problem pages
Small ads Tips for Writing Love Letters
Letters to the editor Guide to Manners for Young Ladies or Gentlemen
Reviews 18th century Guide to bringing up children, or Rules of the Schoolroom
A ‘travel guide’ describing a landscape or city scene
DIARIES AND JOURNALS
Personal diaries and journals are usually very private modes of writing, which makes a story SPEECHES
written as a ‘diary revealed’ a powerful and exciting way to write. Your story can take the form of
If the artwork or a character in the artwork were delivering a speech, what would he/she say? Who
entries in a personal diary, in which we find secrets, fears, dreams, plans, questions and truths that
is the audience: the other figures in the artwork, the people in the gallery?
might not otherwise be expressed. Diaries can be records of extraordinary or dramatic events, but
Why is the character giving the speech and what effect do they want to achieve: to inform, amuse,
they can also record what happens to people in their daily life and how they feel about it.
impress, persuade? Does the character talk about personal experiences or tell stories?
If one of the figures in the artwork was keeping a diary, how would they write? Think about
Is he/she formal, informal, repetitive or given to exaggeration? How does the character grab and
how the style of writing and choice of language and vocabulary can reveal things about your
hold the audience’s attention? Think about his/her personality and how that reflects in voice,
character’s personality.
language and style of delivery.
Remember that because you can write about a character’s view of external events as they are A speech needs a beginning, middle and end, with an introduction to catch the audience’s
happening, you can create suspense as only you (and not your character) knows what happens attention, and a conclusion to leave them with something to think about.
next.
And remember, your character doesn’t have to be a person, it could be an animal, an object or a
shape in an abstract artwork.
LETTERS
Story-telling in the form of letters can also be a very direct way of writing, and as in a diary or
journal you will need to think about the ‘voice’ of the writer. Writing your story in the form of
letters can provide more variation than a diary, as you can write from the point of view of two or
(iii) Activities for developing stories and ideas
more different characters. What is the relationship between the characters writing the letters? Here are some ideas for activities that can help to develop stories or ideas for your writing. Teachers
Why are they writing to each other? Do they feel differently about a situation they are both - work with pupils as a class, in groups or individually, to think about and discuss the following
experiencing? As in a diary or journal, only you, the writer, will know how things turn out for your elements. If you do the activities you can test all the work written by reading it aloud in class,
characters. groups and pairs, discussing and asking lots of questions.
INTERVIEWS
Imagine you are interviewing a figure in the artwork (remember, it doesn’t have to be a person, CHARACTERS
it could be an object!) What would you ask them, and how would they reply? What if figures in Story characters need to feel ‘real’ and convincing to the reader. Think about what makes people
the artwork were interviewing or talking to each other? What are their experiences, what do they (you!) special and different from (or the same as) everyone else. What are they interested in, what’s
want, what have they done? important to them, and why? You will need to think about their daily lives and their relationships
with other people. Think about people you know, and how the different parts of their personality
PLAYS fit together to make sure that the various aspects of your character ‘agree’ with each other. So it’s
Could the artwork be a scene from a play? Is the image at the beginning, in the middle or at the unlikely that if your character is very shy, that they would also be a mad risk-taker. However, avoid
end of the story? How have you got to this point? What happened before? What will happen making them agree too much unless you want to end up with a stereotype!
next? Story characters also need to look ‘real’ to the reader, so you need to describe them well.
In a play the action is moved forward through dialogue but also through the physical movement
of the characters. Your characters will need to sound ‘real’ (convincing and consistent) so think Activities
about dialogue and voices, accent, the words they choose. Remember that your characters will (a) CHARACTER
also be showing what they are doing. You will need to include stage directions to tell your actors
how and where they should be moving and responding. You can also use stage directions to Choose a figure in one of the artworks. Write a character profile for him/her. Note all sorts of
describe the setting where the scene is taking place. information, including name, age, favourite colour, favourite food, preferred clothes, favourite
possession, family, friends, job, habits, hobbies, interests, pets. What is his or her greatest wish?
Greatest (but secret) fear? What are the contents of her handbag or his pockets? And so on. Use the
GUIDEBOOK OR GUIDED TOUR artwork for clues.
You could write a guidebook entry about one of the places in the artwork. If there is a figure in You don’t need to include all these details in your story, but if you create them and know them
the artwork then they could be included or even giving the reader a guided tour. What is the yourself, you’ll understand your character better, and that’ll make them more ‘rounded’, more
most special, interesting or exciting thing about this place? Don’t just write about what you can believable for your readers.
see - use your imagination to describe what is just outside the edge of the picture, round the
corner… Think what makes your character tick. What do they want? Think about what their daily life is like.
Now write a description of your character doing an everyday activity. Washing dishes? Getting
Again, think about the voice of the guide or guidebook writer. What do they think is important? dressed? How does their character affect the way they do ordinary everyday things?
20. inspired! get writing! resource notes inspired! get writing! resource notes 21.(B) PLACE AND SETTING How does your character sound? What makes their ‘voice’ unique, interesting, different or special?
Always read dialogue aloud to get a feel for whether it sounds natural or believable.
Descriptions of places need to feel vivid and convincing enough for the reader to picture it in
their mind or imagine they are there, so start by imagining you are there. How can you describe Think about your character from the first exercise. What adjectives would you use to describe his/
what you see and feel to make it real or authentic for your readers? Think about the sights and her voice and manner of speech? What kind of voice and vocabulary best suits your character?
smells and sounds, use all the senses. How can you convey the atmosphere of this place? Does it Does he/she speak in a soft Highland lilt or a brusque managerial style with lots of harrumphing
feel welcoming, friendly, threatening, oppressive, frightening…? and throat-clearing? Is he shy and hesitant? Is she a teenager with a liking for slang and swagger?
It’s difficult for us to tell exactly how people spoke in the past, except for reading books that were
If you are looking at a painting, there will probably already be a scene there. If you are looking
written at that time, and even then it’s hard to be certain, so if you write a story set in the past you
at a sculpture you might want to use the scene around or imagine it in completely different
may choose to use up to date language for your characters.
surroundings. You could take a figure out of one artwork and place it in another.
Try to show how the characters speak from the actual words they use, rather than using adverbs
The time and place where your writing is set is up to you and you will need to decide whether it
e.g. ‘he said sadly’, ‘she shouted angrily’.
is based in reality e.g. a Scottish shooting lodge in Victorian times or in a place and time for which
you must invent detail, e.g. on a far planet in the year 3000AD? What facts do you already know
ACTIVITIES
about this place or time? Is there anything you’ll need to go and read up on or find out, or just
invent? Sometimes it can be helpful to do some research on the artist, the time the artwork was Work in groups of three. Two people talk about a topic for one minute, say, the weather, a school
made, or the place depicted in the artwork to get an idea of the background. event, a shared hobby or liking, or local/news event. The third person writes down as much as they
can catch. It doesn’t matter if chunks of the conversation are missing. Afterwards, read the dialogue
For teachers, if you have been studying a particular place (such as ‘Old Edinburgh’) with your class
over in your group. How does it sound? Which bits of the conversation are important? Which can
this is an opportunity to explore what pupils have been learning in a more creative way.
be left out? Or need to be put back in? What kinds of words, rhythms, pauses, silences and sounds
were you able to record?
ACTIVITES
In pairs, write a short dialogue for when your characters meet in the ‘plot’ exercise.
Think about a place you know well: a town, building, room or outdoor place. Can you think of
any others? Remember or imagine seeing it for the first time. Describe it in as much detail as
you can. Perhaps start by imagining a place and choose the most important 10 words to give an (e) LANGUAGE
impression of that place.
The language you use will need to be appropriate to the genre you choose, the time, and the
Write in detail about a room in your house or another family member’s house. Don’t use the name characters (if there are any). The ideas in this prose section should help you to think about the
of the room. Describe the walls, floor, furniture and objects as vividly as you can. Think carefully language you use, but the best thing you can do is test your writing by reading it aloud.
about the details. What clues would your readers be able to pick up about the person or people
Here are two last class activities to help you look at language.
who use this room from your description of it?
ACTIVITY
(c) PLOT Gather some examples of different types of prose, such as guidebook entry, advertisement,
newspaper article, encyclopedia, novel. Remove any titles or headings and ask pupils to identify
Plot is what happens (and when, why, how and to whom) in a story. Perhaps there is a problem
what kind of publication each extract is from. How did they guess?
that the characters need to solve. Is there something that they want or need to achieve or find?
What might be stopping them, and how can they overcome this barrier or difficulty? Is there a Using these examples or others, try to rewrite one extract in the style of another. E.g. a newspaper
turning point? Remember, the story and the events can start at any point you think interesting, article in the style of a novel, play or dialogue; an encyclopedia entry about a place in the style of a
intriguing or entertaining for your reader. The scene or events in the artwork might be the holiday brochure.
beginning, middle or final scene of your story.
ACTIVITIES
(iv) A final word about prose…
Write about something you did today, do most days, like getting the bus or walking to school.
Now twist the plot! What if something strange or completely different (or even something very Of course, these are just a few ideas and there are many ways in which you can tell your story. The
small and seemingly insignificant) happened to you? How might your day have turned out? real clues lie in the artwork itself and the best thing you can do is look closely, look again even
Now think about a character you created previously. Work in groups. Explain what your character more closely, and ask yourself:
wants to do and ask others to suggest ways they might achieve their goal. You will probably get Who?
lots of different ideas! Where?
Alternatively, work with a partner and each of your characters. Make notes for a story in which Why?
they meet. Where and why do they meet? How do they get on? What happens to them? Do they When?
each have something they want to do or achieve? What problems do they encounter? How do What?
they resolve problems?
Then it’s up to you to decide what happens next…!
(d) DIALOGUE
Dialogue is speech. Invariably, a character needs to speak to others (although your story might
consist just of a character’s voice in his or her head!) Even so, they need to sound convincing.
22. inspired! get writing! resource notes inspired! get writing! resource notes 23.5. Six Examples Example 1.
to get you started The Three Oncologists, Ken Currie, 2002
Now you have some ideas on how to start, here are six examples on which to practice. Although
they are not all paintings, the same guidelines and exercises for writing can apply to all.
If you’re a teacher, we recommend that firstly, you ask pupils to look closely and respond freely
and spontaneously, before focusing on the questions below. Develop discussion to incorporate
pupils’ own questions and to blend in some information from the ‘Facts’ section. Then use our
ideas for writing – or your own.
© Ken Currie, Scottish National Portrait Gallery
Looking at the picture
ASK YOURSELF
How does the painting make you feel? At first glance? And after studying it more closely?
Who are these people? What do they do? What clues help us to decide? Study their clothes and
postures – what do they reveal or tell us?
Are these people ‘good’ or ‘bad’? Well or ill-intentioned? How do they feel about what they do?
How might they speak? What kind of language/vocabulary do they use professionally? What do
you think they do when they’re not at work?
Describe the setting. What is, or has been, or will be, happening here?
What were they about to do when they paused and turned to you?
What questions would you like to ask them?
FACTS
Ken Currie is a Scottish artist who studied at Glasgow School of Art. The three men in the painting
are all prestigious surgeons, scientists and professors who work in the field of Oncology (cancers).
The glowing quality of the paint makes them seem almost ghostly and unreal. The artist worked
from specially made casts of their faces rather than life. Can you think why? What do you think the
subjects thought of the finished work?
WRITING TASKS
Imagine you meet these three men in a corridor. In what circumstances? What dialogue takes
place? Choose to write in prose or poetry.
Write a dramatic monologue or poem in the words spoken by someone who has a close
relationship with one of these men – either professional or personal.
24. inspired! get writing! resource notes inspired! get writing! resource notes 25.Example 2 Example 3
Sil I , László Moholy-Nagy, 1933 Back of Hand, James Nasmyth, 1874
Scottish National Portrait Gallery
Looking at the picture
ASK YOURSELF
© Hattula Maholy-Nagy/DACS 2011
Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art
Whose is this hand? What does the rest of this person look like? Describe the hand in as much
detail as possible.
Looking at the picture What does the hand tell us about the things it might have done in its lifetime?
Is it true that our hands tell the story of our lives? What might the lines on this hand represent?
ASK YOURSELF
What other things does the hand remind you of?
What colours and shapes are in the picture? What do they remind you of?
How does this person feel… what is he thinking, studying his hand?
What atmosphere does the artist create? How does he do this? How does it make you feel?
What message does the hand seem to send, and why?
How has he created a feeling of space and distance?
What kind of music or soundtrack would go with this painting? FACTS
James Naysmyth was a famous engineer and inventor but his father was a painter and taught him
FACTS
how to draw. He was very interested in astronomy and watched the moon carefully for thirty one
Lazlo Moholy-Nagy was born in Hungary and later taught at the Bauhaus in Germany, an years, making lots of drawings from it and eventually creating a model of its surface. He published
art school famous for its innovative design ideas. This work has been painted onto a kind of a book called ‘The Moon: Considered as a Planet, a World, and a Satellite’.
aluminium called silberit and lines have been scratched into it. Moholy-Nagy liked experimenting
This is the photographer’s own hand. Here, he is comparing the surface of the wrinkled hand with
with new industrial materials. The reflective surface made it seem as if he was ‘painting with light’
the surface of the moon.
– with colours appearing to float over the surface.
WRITING TASKS
WRITING TASKS
The man addresses his thoughts about his life to his hand. You could write in prose, or try an ode,
Imagine you are inside the world of the painting. What kind of world is it? Are you human?
‘Oh, hand…’
What are you doing there? What happens?
Write as if you are a tiny creature lost in the landscape of this hand. Describe your journey and what
Write a conversation between the shapes in the painting.
happened to you in the end.
26. inspired! get writing! resource notes inspired! get writing! resource notes 27.Example 4 Example 5
Away from the flock, Damian Hirst, 1994 Reflections, Balloch, George Leslie Hunter c.1929-30
© Damian Hirst. All rights reserved, DACS, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art
Looking at the picture Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art
ASK YOURSELF Looking at the picture
Why has the sheep been enclosed in this tank? What questions would you like to ask the artist
ASK YOURSELF
about his work?
Why do you think the artist decided to half-fill his canvas with water? What effect does this have on
If the sheep could talk, what would it say about what it sees and hears in the gallery? And about
us as viewers.
its life before becoming an artwork?
What kind of place might this be to spend a holiday? What different things could you do?
How might you have felt if rather than this young sheep, the work featured a newborn lamb?
Have you ever visited anywhere that looked like this?
To see the work of art properly, is it important to be able to walk right around it?
Who lives in this house? Imagine that you live in this place. What sort of life would you lead?
Which is more important- the idea for the artwork or the fact and the way that it has been made?
How does the title relate to the work? Does this place remind you of somewhere you have been?
FACTS FACTS
Much of Hirst’s work is about mortality or death. He is famous for a series of works just like this, George Leslie Hunter was born on the Isle of Bute. His family emigrated to California and much of
in which dead animals are preserved in tanks of formaldehyde, particularly one of a whole shark. his early work was destroyed in the San Francisco earthquake of 1906. He returned to Glasgow and
In Victorian times, in the drawing rooms of the wealthy, preserved animals and birds displayed in became known as one of the famous ‘Scottish Colourists’. He visited France a number of times and
cases were popular decorative items. his work was influenced by the strong Mediterranean light.
WRITING TASKS WRITING TASKS
Write a poem or prose in which the sheep speaks. Who to? When? Can it be heard? The distant perspective achieved in the painting suggests the past and memories. Write as
someone remembering this place as important in their past.
Lambs are much loved by children. Write a new nursery rhyme inspired by this artwork.
Write about a meeting between a child who lives on the boat and a child living in the house.
How do they meet, and what happens?
28. inspired! get writing! resource notes inspired! get writing! resource notes 29.Example 6
6. Writing for Inspired?
The Lomellini Family, Sir Anthony Van Dyck, 1626-7
Get writing!
What are we looking for?
We’re looking for really imaginative responses to works from the NGS collection. Pieces that
breathe life into the imagined world of the artwork. Work that moves, surprises and delights.
Our judges work with the criteria below. We thought you’d like to know what they’re looking for –
ideally - in your writing!
The piece should be
• within the word-limit
• sufficiently well-written to stand alone, without reference to the artwork
• relevant to the selected work of art, although the connection may be lateral or distant
Scottish National Gallery or not discernible on first reading
• original in idea, development and execution
Looking at the picture • evidence of thought and a degree of insight or awareness
ASK YOURSELF • bold, clever, ambitious or risky in its spirit of exploration, experimentation and appropriate,
fresh, lively, vivid, skilful in its use of language.
What kind of people are these and what kind of relationships do they have?
• enjoyable to read
What are the clues?
• perhaps moving in some way
How do you think each spends their day?
• successful in illuminating or extending an aspect of the artwork
Describe what you can see of their home. What do these surroundings tell us about them? What
might the rest of their home be like? • largely free of superficiality, cliché, strained or clumsy use of rhyme, obvious adoption of adults’
ideas, advice and direction
Study their gazes. What might they be thinking or feeling? What do you think they would rather
be doing? • largely unaffected by faulty spelling, punctuation, layout, handwriting
Look at the small details. Look at the rucked carpet and the little dog. What do you think might
have been happening five minutes before this ‘moment’? The writing should …
FACTS • make the reader want to see the artwork
This is thought to be a painting of a very important Italian family. Brothers Nicolo and Giovanni • fire the reader’s imagination
Francesco are on the left, their step mother Barbara is in the middle and her children Vittoria and • surprise or delight
Agostino are on the right. But where is the father of the family? He is the Doge of Genoa (a kind of
prince) and traditionally is not allowed to promote himself by appearing in a portrait. The family • stay in the memory
were defenders of the city of Genoa, one of the richest ports in Europe, and also the Catholic faith. • make the reader want to read it again and again
Sir Anthony van Dyck only lived to the age of 42. He trained in Antwerp, worked in Rubens’ studio
as an assistant and spent time in Italy. He made many grand and elegant portraits and was court
painter to the British monarch, Charles I.
WRITING TASKS
Imagine you are writing an article about the family for Hello! or OK! magazine. What would
they say? Think about all the different family members and their interests and make up some
interview questions. Then write the article about them, not forgetting a title for your piece.
Write the story, or perhaps a ballad, the mother might tell/sing to the children to keep them quiet
during the sitting.
30. inspired! get writing! resource notes inspired! get writing! resource notes 31.You can also read
